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Buffet S1 soprano questions

18K views 100 replies 18 participants last post by  donpe 
#1 ·
I was recently told that a Buffet S1 soprano went up to high G. with keys to go that high - does anyone know if this is correct ?

Also, I've seen a pic on saxpics.com that shows the thumb octave mechanism - selmerish in a way. but i've also seen a pic of one that has a weird rocker that pushes down on a mechanism arm (i'm searching for the pics again).

Does anyone play a Buffet S1 soprano or have come across several that would know ?

Also, how do they play (mechanism-wise and tonal) in comparison to say Couf Superbas/ JK or even mk VIs - i know they all vary alike but any comparison information would be helpful. And yes, I know, Play test it but i just want to get some opinions.

Thanks
 
#69 ·
I can see from the page 2 pictures more similarities in the stack keys and other shapes that I can withdraw the speculation on made by Keilwerth.
And your sax clears up the question Milandro and I had earlier about a brass S1 with the roller-less C/Eb.
I'm sure it's a great sax. Congratulations!
 
#71 ·
That's great, we've now found (and in one case bought!) two brass late S1s, so we can confirm they exist.

No disrespect to Michael Ward, but I'm not sure the reflections on altos have any connections to this discussion. My sop is a screamer, louder than my Martin for sure. I came across a guy recently on Youtube who told me "Buffets are just for classical" in a discussion on sops. I asked if he'd actually played one - he hadn't, just second hand opinions from SOTW.
 
#76 ·
Unfortunately ( or fortunately if you are buying) the S1 (all of them) in the NL have this undeserved reputation of being good only at classical. ( Keilwerth has the reputation of being too rough for example, I bought a great Keilwerth Toneking ( now owned by a fellow SOTW member) which was shun by its former owner ( playing in a classical orchestra).

I still remember one of the first things read on SOTW.

A jazz mouthpiece is the mouthpiece you play jazz with. :) The same is true of the saxophones too.

Buffet might have though that the classical market was larger than the jazz one ( at the time) and targeted the advertising in that direction.
 
#78 ·
I think it is interesting that a number of saxes newly designed and released in that past few years were designed for and marketed to the “jazz player." In contrast, the “great” jazz sopranos seem all to have been designed by or for classical and band market(s?), Buescher, Conn, and Martin before the 1950s all Selmers, SML and all the French makers and so on.

On your S1s and SDAs, how many of you have gold plated needle springs? Do you know the year your sax was made?

Do you know of any recordings of artists playing the S1 or SDA?
 
#79 ·
gold plated spring ( for the most part or even everywhere, the horn is now at the tech) on mine.

Until the ’80, I am sure, that the market of “ classical players” ( which included the marching bands too and the plethora of local and community bands in places like the USA, Germany, Austria, France, Benelux, Italy, Spain and so on), way exceeded the market of “ jazz players”.
 
#81 ·
Until the '80, I am sure, that the market of " classical players" ( which included the marching bands too and the plethora of local and community bands in places like the USA, Germany, Austria, France, Benelux, Italy, Spain and so on), way exceeded the market of " jazz players".
Are you saying that you think that has changed in the years since the 1980s? Certainly most high schools and colleges now have jazz bands, and most saxophone hobbyists at least dabble in jazz. I really don't know how those numbers stack up. I would have thought the high school and college players not involved in jazz would be greater.
 
#80 ·
Non tapered gold springs on mine.

When describing my S1 on my Facebook photo album, I say it it perfect for classical or jazz. But, I'm trying to convey the idea that this is a serious horn. Perhaps the notion of it being a classical instrument has to do with the mouthpiece that comes with the sax. Mine came with a stubby body, close facing (C no star) and large round chamber like the pieces from the 20s.
 
#82 ·
from the ’80 onwards.

The US reality of music at school is certainly not what happens in the rest of the world where music at school ad music in the community has lost steadily numbers from the ’80 onwards. Lack of funding has changed the world market for band instruments.
 
#83 · (Edited)
from the '80 onwards.

The US reality of music at school is certainly not what happens in the rest of the world where music at school ad music in the community has lost steadily numbers from the '80 onwards. Lack of funding has changed the world market for band instruments.
Thanks. That is an interesting observation. In the U. S., I think we have the notion that there is more music in schools and support for the arts in general than here.

I'm sorry I do not mean to sidetrack this interesting thread on Buffet sopranos.
 
#84 ·
How tone-neutral are the SDA and the S1?
 
#85 ·
In my opinion it's very hard to answer this question, for the reasons already mentioned (you may have a clear idea of what is tone neutrality but the sound depends on many factors).
All I can say is that I can play with a classical "pure" sound (Vandoren S15, V12 reeds #3,5 or #4) as well as a "dark smoky" sound (Selmer Super Session J, #2,5 or #3 V16 reeds) so it's neutral enough I guess.
However this is a perfect way to end a conversation, I will keep your question in mind for further use (just kidding, no offense!!)

By the way, here is another great example of a brass S1 soprano with special keywork (serial 336XX, made in 1982) but without the high G :
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Buffet-Crampon-Saxophone-Soprano-/182809371785
 
#92 ·
Thanks for the attempt. I didn't realize that this was a hard question. My Noblet alto's timbre is really sensitive to or dependent on the mouthpiece, reed and me. Its tone is super flexible, so I thought this was an obvious question. I'm trying to find something equivalent in a soprano.

I am encouraged by your response, but I am probably going to have to try horns myself and find what I want through trial and error. An S1 or SDA soprano joins a short list of about 5 horns to try. Finding the best deal will determine where I start I guess.
 
#94 ·
I spent a couple of hours last night looking at Buffet sopranos on the Internet. For the soprano, is the SA 18-20 the same as Dynaction or was there never a soprano Dynaction? Did the SA 18-20s have serial numbers?
 
#96 ·
Just reopening this thread to say that the difference in what the S1 sopranos were keyed to (F, F#, G) were factory options at point of order, so logically you'll find S1s with those different options in no particular chronological order, (bar that I gather very late ones might have acquired the tilting pinkie key table from the alto).
 
#97 ·
I have posted a catalog and price list here somewhere that lists these options and pricing. I don't think I've ever seen one keyed to high G for sale before.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#99 ·
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